AuthorTopic: Pickory - Final version! (Read 104348 times)

Pickory is a fangame I am making. However, it is completely different from the other fangames. I made it from scratch in C++. I tried to make each area feel unique - it doesn't just have spikes and apples everywhere. It also has a much bigger focus on puzzles, particularly in the Portal area.

Also, the physics are a bit different. Specifically THERE IS NO VARIABLE HEIGHT JUMPING (except for the final boss).

Latest version: 12.03.18Mediafire Download LinkNote: Please do not link directly to Mediafire on other websites. Link to this thread so that people will get the latest version. I upload new versions and take down old ones periodically, so direct links are likely to get broken.

Features

Level designs based on numerous games, not just IWBTG

No invisible blocks (ok there's one but at least it's unique and funny), fake blocks, or falling Delicious Fruits

Secret areas to find and items to collect

Built in instant save fixer - no more getting stuck, ever

Custom engine coded in C++, a lot faster than Game Maker

Ability to record and save replays of a game

Unlimited save "slots" - You can rename savefiles to anything you wish and have any number of them

PORTALS!

Bonus Space Duel Standalone VersionIf you think the fight with aiMir is unbalanced, here's your chance to even the odds. You can change the settings by editing a textfile, and press E to reload them. If you find some values for the settings that you think are more balanced than in the current version, or you have any other suggestions regarding the fight, please tell me. Mediafire Download Link

PortingThis game is intended to be cross platform. If you are interested in making a native Mac or Linux version, pm me or post here and I'll send you the source code. Though it may be difficult to build since I don't have any makefiles.

ControlsNote: the controls can be changed by editing controls.txt. Currently, only keyboard controls are supported. If you have a joystick and want me to add joystick support, please pm me.

Game Controls:Move left: Left arrowMove right: Right arrowUp/Down: Up and Down arrows (only used in some areas)Jump: Left ShiftShoot: ZSpecial: XSuicide: QReload: RSkip cutscene: SPause/Unpause: P Unsave: Backspace Open main menu: EscapeGo to titlescreen: F2

PageDown: Decrease game speedPageUp: Increase game speed

UnsavingThis is a feature I made which I believe has never been done before in any other fangame.Basically, it is a built-in instant save fixer. If you ever get stuck, just press the backspace key and the last save will be undone. Be careful not to undo the good saves though!

DifficultyThe difficulties in Pickory are named one lower then IWBTG. So Wuss is equivalent to Medium, Medium is Hard, and Hard is Very Hard. Playing on hard difficulty your first time is a very bad idea.

Secret ItemsThere are secret items and secret levels placed throughout the game. However, they are not hidden with invisible blocks, fake blocks, or other cheap tricks. Instead, they require out of the box thinking or puzzle solving to reach. You can view a list of the secrets you have already found in the achievements menu.

ReplaysThis is another feature which I believe is unique among fangames. Whenever you play a game, it is automatically recorded, so you can play it back later or send it to someone else to watch. By default, replays are saved to WriteDir/Replays/LastReplay.txt but you can always rename them to something else to stop it from getting overwritten next time.

Q: I watched the video but I still can't get past it!A: Try the left path, it's a lot easier.

Q: Why is it named Pickory? What does it mean?A: The name refers to the main character, Pickory Nolastname. It is a fake name I randomly made up and is not supposed to mean anything.

Q: How long did it take you to make?A: I've been working on it since mid October 2009. I intended to keep working on it as long as I have enough spare time and enough ideas.

Q: I'm stuck on the second part of the Portal area.A: You can hold down the arrow key to go farther. Other then that, it's a standard Portal fling, with a airjump at the end.

Q: I'm stuck on the Majora's Mask screen.A: You have to jump into the moon.

Q: What day is the Fourth of July celebrated in Britain?A: In Britian, they use the eastern orthodox calendar, so the date varies from year to year depending on the lunar cycle. Next year, the Fourth of July will be celebrated on June 31st.

1. If you try to load game when there is no savefile, there is supposed to be an error message.Other then that, there shouldn't be any errors. Could you please post a screenshot of the error message along with what you did before the error occured?

2. Last time, people complained that my game was too easy. I guess I accidentally went too far in the other direction this time. What part are you having trouble with? Are there any particular places or things I should change to make it easier?

1. If you try to load game when there is no savefile, there is supposed to be an error message.Other then that, there shouldn't be any errors. Could you please post a screenshot of the error message along with what you did before the error occured?

2. Last time, people complained that my game was too easy. I guess I accidentally went too far in the other direction this time. What part are you having trouble with? Are there any particular places or things I should change to make it easier?

1: That's not the error message I was talking about. Sometimes when I jump on that house moving up, it gives me an error message. I'll give you a video in a little bit.

2: The part about the Super Mario World thing is that I can't pass the bullet bills nor do I know where to go. I try jumping on them facing the right but it's too slow and I get hit in the back.

Odd. I found the bullet bill part pretty easy actually. If you tell me how to record a video, I can try making one to show you.

Anyway, I think the biggest issue difficulty wise is the part where you have to jump off a moving platform and land in a 30 pixel vertical gap. I think that as it is, it basically requires being accurate to within 1 or 2 frames. I'm planning on making it easier in the next version. The rest of the level doesn't seem to be too bad though.

i keep dying in the second screen even when im pretty sure im landing on top of the bullet bills. and neither way when i do manage to pass the initial wave i dont know how to get over the chomping spikes and get on the bullets when they shoot the other way

I'm still not sure exactly what is causing the bug, but I'll probably have to redesign the collision detection and response part of the engine in order to fix it completely.

In the meantime, I can try just removing the assertions. This means that the game won't crash, but on the other hand, there is a small chance of weird behavior, such as falling through the house. Do you think I should release a version with those assertions removed?

its a good puzzle but it's too hard to figure out then execute. you have to get across the whole bullet bill section which is pretty hard in and of its self, jump up at the exact moment, then get across those two moving blocks without dying. since im playing on easy mode i would have expected a save after the first bullet bill section.... but still good puzzle idea, just hard